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Tourism partners maintain status quo

Agreeing they seek the same goals, the Tourist Development Council and Chamber of Commerce renew their contract.

By BARBARA BEHRENDT
Published September 15, 2005

LECANTO - Members of the Tourist Development Council on Wednesday could at least agree that the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce provides valuable information to tourists about what to do and where to stay when they visit the area.

Council members had a much tougher time deciding whether that service was worth $20,000 in tourist tax dollars annually.

In the end, the council unanimously voted to renew the chamber's contract for another year.

Don Sutton, a member of the chamber's board of directors, argued that the two entities were in the same business.

"Our goals, the chamber and the Tourist Development Council, our goals are the same as far as tourism. We want tourism to flourish," Sutton said. "We think we're a real important little cog in what you do."

Tourist council member John Kendall disagreed.

"There was a time when the partnership between the chamber and the TDC was a necessity," he said. "To me, that time has passed."

Kendall argued that the council receives the same services as any other member of the Chamber of Commerce; however, unlike other members, it pays the chamber membership fee and forks over $20,000 in tourist tax revenues. Two other council members expressed similar misgivings.

Sutton told the group he believes the council is getting a bargain. The chamber offers information to tourists from its three offices and provides referrals to tourism businesses even if they are not members of the chamber. That issue drove a wedge between the two entities in spring 2004, when council member Gail Oakes reported that she had learned the chamber wasn't referring visitors to area tourism-related businesses, including her own, which were not chamber members.

Oakes is owner of the Homosassa Riverside Resort.

Sutton said he believes the referral issue has been worked out and that the chamber is willing to provide even more help in tourist development in the future, including more informational signage in partnership with the tourism council.

Kendall argued that the county's Visitors and Convention Bureau, which the tourism council directs, can do much of its own marketing now since, more than ever, people collect information about where to visit via the Internet.

"Because of the introduction of modern technology, Web sites, computers, this is the means by which the public looks for their information and it is in advance," Kendall said. "I think the Tourist Development Council should end this association as far as the money is concerned."

Oakes said she agreed with much of Kendall's argument and noted that the chamber does offer excellent service to its members. But she was not sure it was the right business move to continue to pay the chamber for the same services other chamber members got with their membership fee.

Still, Oakes said she would likely vote to continue the contract another year "if it's because we want to remain friends."

Council member Marc Wigmore also voiced reluctance to renewing the contract but he said he thought it was important that there was some visitor information resource in various locations in the county. The chamber has offices in Inverness, Crystal River and Homosassa. The Visitors and Convention Bureau opened an office in Homosassa earlier this year at the Fishbowl Drive entrance to the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.

Council member Sue Ellen Friddle stood up for the chamber, saying "it's providing a huge service to the TDC."

Even if people are trying to gather information via the Internet before settling on a vacation location, many might look first to a local chamber of commerce for that information. Fewer might be familiar with the Visitors and Convention Bureau moniker.

"It's money well worth spent," Friddle said.

Council members Frances Roberts and Starla Hayes agreed.

Council Chairman Gary Bartell said he would like to see the chamber work on developing some new ideas with the tourism council, including signage. The progress of those improvements would help him decide next year whether the relationship should continue.

"I would hate to see us sever the agreement and go in separate directions when we have the same goals," Bartell said. "Let's go out there and promote tourism as partners."

In other business, the council unanimously approved the marketing plan through Gold & Associates for the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. The plan, which will cost the council $203,000, will feature new advertisements and marketing into new areas including Birmingham, Ala.

Helen Jason of Gold & Associates also told the council that the firm was monitoring developments regarding hurricane damage along the Gulf coast from Katrina and what impact that could have on tourism in this area. At the county's request, part of the firm's marketing plan for next year includes a crisis management component.

Oakes asked if there was some way to offer facilities in Citrus as options for small group meetings that might have been planned for the storm-damaged areas. Mary Craven, tourism development manager, said state tourism officials are already coordinating that activity.

--Barbara Behrendt can be reached at 564-3621 or behrendt@sptimes.com

[Last modified September 15, 2005, 01:05:21]